Brexit looms over London catwalk as overseas brands take spotlight

September 17, 2017

London kicked off fashion week on Friday to pleas from the local fashion industry to protect the city’s international outlook as uncertainty about Britain’s impending departure from the EU hung in the air for the second year in a row.

Five days of catwalk shows include a wide array of British talent with star turns by high-profile international brands Emporio Armani from Italy and U.S. designer Tommy Hilfiger.

Models display creations from the DAKS Spring/Summer 2108 collection show at London Fashion Week in Britain, September 15, 2017 - Reuters “Our industry, our businesses, our creatives and our talent are international – literally in citizenship, but also in outlook,” said Caroline Rush, CEO of the local industry body, the British Fashion Council.

The fashion industry wanted tariff-free access to the EU, “friction-less” borders and government support for bringing international talent to Britain.

British talent on show during the event includes Ralph & Russo, Amanda Wakeley, Christopher Kane and Julien Macdonald while British fashion house Burberry will also attract significant interest.

Hilfiger’s event - dubbed Tommynow - closes the festival on Tuesday and comes on the back of high-concept shows in New York and Los Angeles during which the label effectively built amusement parks, complete with a Ferris wheel in New York.

The event will also see the labels increasingly adopt the “see now, buy now” model, where clothes seen on the catwalk are available to consumers online immediately after the show.

Online retail giant Amazon is seeking to go a step further, teaming up with former Diesel creative director Nicola Formichetti’s Nicopanda label to offer delivery of items to some customers in London within an hour.